The Make-A-Wish Foundation began forty years ago in Phoenix, Arizona, as a community coming together to grant the wish of a critically ill seven-year-old boy who wanted to be a policeman. That one act of loving kindness grew into a program that spread world-wide. We spoke with Kris Moran, Director of Marketing and Communications for Make-A-Wish Foundation CT.
Crier: In fiscal year 2024, your Make-A-Wish Foundation CT granted 282 wishes, with the average cost of a wish in Connecticut being $13,000. What is your process for selecting who is eligible to be granted a wish?
Kris Moran: There are specific criteria. Wishes are granted to children who are between the ages 2-and-a-half and 15, and have been diagnosed with a progressive degenerative or malignant condition that has put their life in jeopardy.
Crier: What is a critical illness?
Kris Moran: Critically-ill children can go on to live thriving lives. We have granted over 4,300 wishes to Connecticut children with critical illnesses and will be celebrating our 40th anniversary next year. We are located in Trumbull and rely on the Connecticut community to help us grant wishes – both through fundraising and volunteering. Right now we have 300 children waiting for their wishes to come true. That doesn’t mean that the wishes aren’t planned, or in progress, but yes, we have 300 children.
Crier: Are there limits to what Make-A-Wish is able to do?
Kris Moran: Yes, we don’t have a guideline, but we can’t build a house or send you to the moon, though we can provide an astronaut experience. The average cost of a wish as $13,000 is a guideline.
Crier: How do you measure the impact of Make-A-Wish on a participant?
Kris Moran: We have seen and heard from medical providers that wishes give them hope and something to look forward to while going through treatment. Research shows that children who have wishes granted can built the physical and emotional strength they need to fight an illness that has placed their life in jeopardy.
Crier: Of the five wish categories, which are the most popular?
Kris Moran: Wish to go to Disney World is the most requested, and shopping sprees, and building a playhouse.
Barbara Heimlich spent 35 years as Vice President of Program Management and Research for Paragon Development, an international consulting firm, where she was responsible for new product and business development. She is the Features Reporter for the Stratford Crier.
